sizes of pistol grips

[angriff]

How would I know if the size of the pistol grip is ok for me? Sufficient space is an obvious factor but I've been told that a oversized pistol grip - that is, your entire thumb can be spread out straight on the top of the grip - affects point control, and I should opt for one that is small enough such that i have to curl my thumb and index finger.

How true is this, and how do the rest of you out there determine the right size of pistol grip for your hand? Thanks

[Drew42]

I have yet to find a grip that is perfect 'out of the box' (so to speak). I take the grip and hold it in the proper position, then cut the excess off. Your finger should definitely curl, your thumb only slightly. This allows finger control on a pistol grip just like on a french grip, althouigh few people actually use it that way.

[ravva]

It's too easy to get hung up on the "correct" way of doing things... more importantly, its what suits you that should influence your decision making.. however, in my experience, it has been beneficial to use a grip that requires a small bend in the thumb and where the grip is small enough so that i can exercise full wrist movement without feeling impeded.

[angriff]

Originally posted by ravva
it has been beneficial to use a grip that requires a small bend in the thumb and where the grip is small enough so that i can exercise full wrist movement without feeling impeded.

Precisely... with my current pistol grips my thumb can be spread out flat on top of it, and someone else just told me that means my pistol grips are oversized. Glad to have that confirmed.. Do the rest have any other views?

[angriff]

Originally posted by Drew42
I take the grip and hold it in the proper position, then cut the excess off.

How do you go about doing that? I was told I could saw off the excess but I was hoping for an easier way around this..

[kini mini]

Originally posted by angriff
How do you go about doing that? I was told I could saw off the excess but I was hoping for an easier way around this..

I suppose you could try putting some additional padding next to the guard. I did that to experiment with various lengths before thinking about making any modifications, eventually i decided I liked the grip that way because that blade was rather heavy and I needed to shove it a bit. I've semi-retired that one though .

[pammie003]

Be careful with the extra padding. There's a limit to how thick the padded wire cover can be. I can't remember the number exactly. Anyone know? You don't want to be at a competition, only to find that all of your weapons are illegal!

[DJ Apostrophe]

max is 2cm...

[Dav3ey]

I think the best way to judge handle sizing is to:

1. put on your fencing glove,

2. hold the handle so that the curved "spur" or "horn" is snugly but comfortably at the base of your thumb, and

3. mark where your thumb tip is on top of the handle.

That's probably the shortest that you want your handle to start with. If you cut your handle (with a hacksaw, e.g.) at this line, your thumb tip should brush up against the pad without restriction when you assemble your weapon.

You may decide to leave the handle longer, making the trade off of marginally worse balance and point control for marginally longer reach. Up to you, but as DJ points out, the tip of your thumb must be within two centimetres of the inside of the pad.

You might decide to take a bit off the handle, but do so judiciously. Some people really enjoy the snug feeling of having their hand in a tiny fist. But consider whether you want a "small" handle (smaller proportions) or a shorter one. Most fencing shops carry your average Visconti handle in small, medium and large and you can try to find them to compare at your club. Having your thumb snuggly against the pad -- especially with a nice full glove, like a Allstar glove -- is a great feel.

A note: I made the mistake of taking the stumpy handle feel to an extreme and strained the tendon that runs over the back of the knuckle at the base of my thumb. It can be extremely taxing on your fingers and hand to use a pistol grip that is too short because you lose the ability to really hold onto the weapon between your ring finger, pinkie and palm. You really have to use the weapon like a french but without the benefit of a pommel.
If you're considering cutting the handle so that the front of the bottom shank is in your fingers but the back doesn't touch your palm, you may want to reconsider -- it may feel OK now, but after two DE bouts, your hand may not have much left.

[angriff]

Thanks Dav3ey and everyone else, that was sound advice and some things I didn't know as well.. I've a pair of epees, one with a sawed-off large grip and another with a normal large grip.. I'll train and fence a bit with both blades before I decide what to do next